


Science and Us

by gimmethaticecream



Series: AU - ASCENSION [1]
Category: Ascension (SYFY), Korean Actor RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Couch Cuddles, Fluff, M/M, Science Fiction, Spaceships, generation ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-17 16:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3535469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gimmethaticecream/pseuds/gimmethaticecream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>ASCENSION AU: The Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 did not stop the Project Orion except <b>Spoiler alert</b> for the ending of the 1st episode, in the notes at the end. Basically in this universe, the characters are aboard a generation ship, they are the 3rd generation, Ascension-ship born generation.<br/>The action centers on their life in this can of a world on a journey to a new planet, and in this fic, the protagonists are arguing (nicely) career decisions and interests.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Science and Us

**Author's Note:**

> I love the unfamous pairings, and this one is one of them.  
> Basically, I really wanted to try a SciFi spin off and the first ASCENSION episode gave me enough matter to work on. I already have a few other fics about Woobin and Haneul so I guess I'll take that personnal challenge and post them.

"Don't make me choose."

A long silence follows, if the intense stare of Woobin doesn't count as a mean of speech. Haneul feels it radiating the side of his face. Regardless, his eyes are captured by the immensely wide glass globe, galaxies lightening the top deck of the Ascension ship.  
He accomodates his stance for a long stay as if his words were to end the conversation and he could allow himself some well deserve rest. Woobin jerks up from his own long chair, straddling it and one could say without having to look at him that he was fighting the urge to get up. Haneul was surprised when after a few minutes he wasn't up and towering him, his face gloomy.

"Hyung."  
Woobin's tone is the one of a warning.  
"Hyung." Haneul parrots without any further delay. Politeness is not the point, never was, never will. But if Woobin underlines it, Haneul knows that he won't just play along easy. He's going to fight each and every word if he can pull each string to make him choose. He has, after all, a lot at sake. Woobin is scheming and scratching already, he won't give up any soon.

"Well obviously, someone, has to make you choose at some point. You either follow the so called order and join the ranks of the lab rats, closing yourself from the rest of the ship or you choose to break some rules and live outside of the lab quarters making your own _scientific experiment_."  
The words sound as foreign to him as the galaxies lighting the deck, no matter how casual Woobin acted. He doesn't move, focused on his friend.  
"I guess that abstract term is supposed to be a catch for my nerd brain, Hyung."  
Woobin scoffs, but he can't deny he did just reach.  
"I have to try and pull you to my end, whatever the means."

Haneul's eyelids flutter closed, he cannot fathom how, when in the most beautiful place of their world, Woobin would only have eyes for some other human, him as a matter of fact, and frustration over down to ship trivialities at heart.  
All they know is the generation ship: an artificial beach, a few simulators, a few botanical gardens, a museum of random artefacts and an impressive library. The highest deck is the only part of the ship unveiling the emptiness ahead, a wide sea of stars and singularities. It has the shape of an Orb, and a 360° view of the unknown space, their sky and limit. This is the only world their generation knew of. They were born on the Ark, educated as its inhabitants and trained to operate the ship when their time would come. They were one of the few generations scheduled to be sacrificed so as to ensure humanity until the ship would reach another pleasant world. Of all places, the top deck had always been Haneul's favorite. Unlike a lot of Ark babies, he still liked watching the space which made it so hard for them to have dreams of fresh grass and mountains like on the beautiful pictures of a few books that weren't censored just yet; he didn't get over the fact that he would only have a peaceful life on the ship and die without ever landing. Most Ark-born space travelers had stopped thinking about the earth, banning most of their library resources to focus on what they have. The deep dark and cold space was still the most tangible proof of what books picture as the earth for Haneul, a planet somewhere out there. It was a sad truth he couldn't ignore, he needed to keep the idea of another world waiting for them to live on. Woobin, not so much.

"Ain't it beautiful, Hyung?"  
Haneul sighs, moving on anyway. The universe ahead of the course of the ship is enough to distract him, but it doesn't exactly work that way for his friend.

"Sure is."  
Woobin doesn't budge and again, his stare and interest at the moment speak volume.  
Earlier this week, Haneul dropped the B-bomb: boarding-bomb. Woobin gave it many names through years, expecting it, waiting for it. Graduations passed and Haneul was still such a sucker for sciences. He somewhat thought that despite the fact that he loved science, Haneul might stray a little from his favorite classes when reaching the ship crisis age.  
Everyone went through it, some even never got out of it: the moment when you realize the ship is all and you kind of nest a grudge for the grandparents who signed in for a life in such conditions compared to what they had on earth, or thought they didn't have on earth. Most would have rebellious urges, destructive behavior or just a long and tiring depression. Haneul had none of that, as if he had lost a dear sibling called freedom and never mourned. He was always so mature about everything, instead of drifting away from the useless study matter he buried himself under books, theories and graphic simulations.  
Maybe he was one of the few generation-ship-babies who were raised and taught just perfectly for this life, Woobin was only glad to have him. That kid just helped him get through the day in so many ways. Woobin was never afraid to admit needing his soulmate. But the straight course Haneul made to his twenties only rose his anxiety for the time when Haneul would officially dress in the laboratory blouse and barely be noticeable at human sight.  
The nerds in the research division have the habit to hide in a deck which is dedicated to their work, restricted of access. The best scientists live in there and you'd see them on special occasion, like when we crossed the path of a special system. And that was what Haneul would long to even if at first he'd try to keep their little routines.

Now the Boarding bomb or sarcastically declined into a Divorce bomb, courtesy of Woobin, was out there: Haneul announced he'd join the ranks of the scientists, full time and Woobin couldn't follow him down there. He was the son of the first Lieutenant and his family had been in charge of maintaining order aboard the generation ship for almost two centuries now. Woobin didn't have a special liking for that occupation but it was all he knew, he grew up ruling around and he was the best at it, regardless his youth.  
His family and a few others organized and trained officers and although they had all access to every deck, science was still a remote deck they barely frequented.  
Woobin started as an officer a few years ago and gladly for his friend, interventions on the science researches deck were very rare. Still, he has never lied about his moderate disapproval about his choice of carreer.

Haneul promised it would be okay, they'd meet every time they could, have sky sessions, just like this one and nothing would change. He always wished to accommodate with pretty much everything, just like his eyes seemed unable to settle on one of the galaxy ahead, pupils jumping from northern west, the red glowing one to the blue one lodged in the south east of their panoramic view.

"I'm not referring to my features here."

Woobin remains silent although a faint hiss could be heard. His eyes followed his friend's, in case something really made the sky shine brighter tonight or if Haneul was still rediscovering the trails of stars he watched the day before, lightyears away from their position.

  
"-Hyung." Haneul adds, the corner of his lips twitching slightly.  
"I don't really give a damn what's up there if I, down here, have to let science have you all the time. I don't like this arrangement where we are expendables."  
Woobin lifts one leg to join the other right between their long chairs, settling his elbows on his knees and his head in between his fists, for some more Haneul gazing.

"It's rather for the liking of the ship's crew, as known as the beacon of the humanity, Lieutenant. -Hyung."  
Haneul glanced shortly at his friend, looking like he was pretty much enjoying himself.  
Woobin rolled his eyes, damn well aware that the first comment about the excess of honorific title out his mouth would bring him back to square zero and no respect at all, Haneul could really be a kid.  
"Please don't bring the Cosmic order into our debates, I'm about to be out of words, and then all I have left is my gut."  
Now Haneul has to halt stargazing to look at the face of his friend. Everytime Woobin gives a warning, he watches with eyes widened, as sharp as ever, his thumb and index drawing the outline of his jaw. His gut is supposedly the brainless and instinct driven part of him.

"Nobody wants to deal with that, Hyung."  
Woobin chuckles at the comment, pushing his body off his chair and nudges his friend to the other side of his chair, creating the space necessary for him to lay besides. He's so tall he's lazily bending over in the process, long arms hanging, thin fingers against Haneul's side to assure his spot before he lays down on his side his chest against the other's shoulder.

"Please, Hyung," Haneul sounds exhausted and honestly begging, "don't make me choose between us and science."

Again, silence. Woobin stares in awe, lips apart, eyes wide and suddenly he just gulps the shock down. He pulls his elbow back to his chest, resting his face down on the soft fabric of the long chair, hands reaching out for one of his wrists.  
Haneul feels his whole face heating upon the realisation of his own words. He tries to evade the uncomfortable situation by looking at the space, just above Woobin's ear, so beautiful and yet so over seas of stars.

Sometimes Haneul felt it, how breathtakingly cold and distant space is. In those moments it's almost too easy to seek closure and avoid the infinite space which seems to repulse humanity's mere existence. But it has never made him stray so far as to ignore it like most of the crew. Haneul chose not to consider the ship as his whole world and only option.  
He lowers his head, turning his body to his side too, facing Woobin and he leans in until he can rest his lips against his forehead.

"I want it all. I want galaxies, expeditions, I want that laboratory and its toys and I want you by my side all the time. I don't care for how much work I'll be required to produce, a lab-rat can still sneak out pretty much unnoticed."

He felt the hast sigh of Woobin against his collarbone after his words and he knew that was a trigger for some act to be pulled out.  
And just when Haneul pursed his lips up, waiting for some snappy line, Woobin's forehead pressed gently against his mouth and although he couldn't see his face, it made him giggle softly. He could imagine that sharp face of his; that face actually turned them into friends, back when Woobin scared every kid older or younger and Haneul stubbornly displayed a passionate hobby of drawing his angry face every day in kindergarten.

"I see, gut it is." Haneul said after successfully managing to lift his chin up.  
His chest was still shaken by a few hiccups, he wrapped his arms around the tall man, constricting his broad shoulders for a short moment.  
"You haven't seen anything yet boy."  
The voice of the oldest was muffled into his tshirt, clearly making no effort to be heard.

Haneul pecked his forehead as an answer and relaxed in Woobin's embrace his arms dropping as if his short gesture exhausted his whole body already. The chair suddenly felt very large for the two of them, snuggling in the middle, the universe surrounding them.

"I'm so ready for that blow out of your gut I can't actually rest."  
"Good."  
Haneul refrains a giggle, almost counting the seconds in-between Woobin's steady breath.  
"Please get it over with?"  
Woobin pulls off from their warm little cocoon to throw one glare, eyebrows furrowed.  
"So you really won't come back on that confession? You'd rather do science than me."  
The youngest's laugher is a singularity itself. It's his space and his whole universe, infinity confined in that boy just turned man. This laugh is everything, it happens way too rarely and it fuels Woobin with a lot of feelings and desires. This laugh could be his whole world. Still he keeps his attitude sharp.  
He wears his mad-with-the-whole-universe face like he means it.  
"Do me a favor and stop lying to yourself Haneul. It ain't cute when you're stepping on my feelings."

Woobin steadies his position, and pulls Haneul back where he belongs, right against him, his head dwelling in the curve of his neck. Also he does it with moderate strength, nicely rude. Because that is beyond lovely on his scale of niceties and the youngest comprehends it without any word. Woobin may disagree with him, he always makes sure they're still as close as ever, the discrepancy only waiting to be solved.  
He can feel Haneul getting comfy against him, his tophead bangs tickling his neck and his pulpy lips stuck just under his collarbone and above his shirt, the air browsing through his lips feverishly warm.

"Why does it have to be one or the other, I can do both."  
Woobin hissed although this little confession was close to satisfying. Long has he been waiting for a three word declaration and still he didn't give up, asking for more than just a settlement.  
"It should be one or the other. It is for me. You are my only topic of research and lone interest, Haneul. I don't understand why I cannot suffice your needs but I guess that's part of your mystery."  
Haneul smiled against his skin, giving him butterflies, and he promptly pressed a few kisses on his neck.  
" Of course, you were born a tyran, I have to study to become a scientist. But thank you Hyung."

They barely enjoyed their silent agreement after that confession out of him.  
The alert siren went on, and it hurt in all the wrong places.  
Haneul jerked up promptly with the energy Woobin didn't recognize as his. They waited for the code of the alert which was pronounced by a voice supposed to soothe you. Yet both looked at each other.  
\- level 3, impact in 14 minutes, 51 seconds-  
"What?"  
Haneul was just as surprised as Woobin. An ion storm was normally scheduled days ahead, so this only meant either their trajectory was altered or the storm was infact another singularity they didn't know just yet. Haneul was only in training, but he had to shelter his experience subjects from any radiation.  
"Seems like someone's gonna get to the bottom of something tonight at least."  
Haneul laughed, slipping in his laceless sneakers. "You should get this ship in order, Lieutenant."  
"Yeah, I'm going to scold you and your teammates if you're not in your sleeping pod when I reach the labs, you've been warned."  
Haneul pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips and left, jogging to the metallic stairs. Woobin lazily walked after him, feet wiggling their way into his boots.  
"I'm not joking!" The young officer shouted, fully aware that Haneul would hear. "Friendly reminder: my room is a few decks closer to the science department. And my pod is better than yours."  
"No it's not!" Haneul argued, looking up.  
"It is when I'm in."  
The scientist in disguise grinned cheekily, letting this one pass.

**Author's Note:**

> [SPOILER FOR THE SERIE] unlike in the syfy show, the ship in this AU did leave earth.


End file.
